We all have different people from history that we admire, or look to for inspiration when we are having a rubbish day in the office and the rain is beating at the window like a heartbeat.
So who would yours be?
As a kid I was pretty uncool. Now I might be looked at as a little individual at that age, a little bit alternative and very studious, but then I was the geek in the glasses. Nose buried in a book, I could pretty much tell you anything about the Little Women or characters from To Kill a Mockingbird at a very young age, and my Grandfather used to make me learn poems by heart. To this day I can still recite a weird little poem about a bird that lays its eggs in a paper bag to keep the rain out. Its my party trick 
. And I was opinionated. I still am, in fact.
So when I think about the person from history that I would go back and be, there is no question.
Ann Boleyn (bear with me on this one).
Ann Boleyn was a bad ass.
Sure, she eventually got her head cut off for alleged incest and adultery that it is now refuted that she was innocent of, but she is documented to have been a clever and quick witted girl, remarkable and with a vast political acumen for her age and sex given the time.
She watched the court before her and saw her sister become the mistress of the King, producing a child sworn as illegitimate, and when the King cast his eye on her, she saw her chance to do things a little differently, and have a massive influence of the running of the country. So she let him woo her, but vowed that she would be his partner only in the bedroom once she was the rightful Queen of England.
Clever girl.
Henry the Eighth then invented divorce, divorced his Queen and married her, and she spent her three years on the throne having a massive influence over relations between Tudor England and the rest of Europe, smoothing over relationships that Henry had destroyed and setting the president for the way the country was, and still is, governed.
Her reputation for being quick witted and ‘with forward manners’ was fine as the mistress to the King, but as Queen was frowned upon. So she wasn’t meek and mild, and stood up for what she believed in, and that’s why I love her. She didn’t care that she didn’t live in a time where she was expected to accept the will of the men around her, but strove to protect her ladies in waiting and improve conditions for all those in her staff. Quite frankly, if she was born another 500 years later she would be heralded as unique and ahead of her time, and she was. Just a bit far ahead.
Ann Boleyn was beheaded at the Tower of London in May 1536 at just thirty years old, but what a life she led.
So, I would be the second Queen of Henry VIII. But the Jonathan Rhys Meyer version, just so we are clear.
I love Anne , l actually like anything that has to do with the Tudors and would love to travel back in time and experience life at court. I would like to be a noble woman but not one that gets beheaded lol.
Loved this post! Good job!
I read the first book “The Other Boleyn Girl,” but haven’t read the second. Have you?
yeah.. you should. I love anything to do with her, and for once, the films were pretty good too!
She was an amazing woman alright!
Henry was syphilitic which is probably why he had few children, one of whom would replace him on the throne, but he didn’t get rid of Anne without a LOT of persuasion on the part of his advisors…
Love and hugs!
Prenin.
ha ha! I’ve no doubt that you would be! And let’s face it (no pun intended here…), getting beheaded is JUST about the coolest way to die. I’ve always thought that’s how I died in a past life. I’d take that over being stoned or burned alive any day.
Thank you so much, you’ve finally given me someone to blame for the invention of divorce. A beheading was too good for her. Take all of her clever and somewhat good qualities and use them for all they’re worth. No pun intended but keep your head about you because what she played at was a dangerous and deadly game.
Good to know I wasn’t the only Tudor obsessed girl. I grew obsessed with Anne Boleyn after watching Anne of the Thousand Days…one of my favorite films that I highly recommend to Anne Boleyn fans.
Oh too funny- and just in time as they are rerunning “The Other Boleyn Girl” to death of late…the Eric Bana, as opposed to Jonathan Rhys-Meyers…lol.
DEFINITELY the Jonathan Rhys Meyer version.
This is only barely related, but I think the weirdest beheading I’ve ever heard of was this guy who was snowmobiling and passed under a wire fence, and the wire whipped his head right off. I wonder how long his head stayed alive. Did he see his body continuing forward and think, “Hey that guy has the same jacket I do.”?
I’m with ya on this one; my mom often referred to me as “Lady Jane” …..something about her being a pain in the a$$ and then the beheading……
Honestly speaking, I never look up or think about any person from history at a moment you described in the first paragraph. I’d rather think about the good old memories if you know what I mean.
LOL, too funny! I do believe Henry didn’t gain all that weight until later in his life, so it’s entirely possible he was the Jonathan Rhys Meyer version for a while.
i am with you on her badassedness — and the jonathan rhys myers version!
Cool post, and I can appreciate it since I’m a bit of a history buff myself. Agreed that Ann Boleyn was a very impressive and charismatic woman, who succeeded for a time in exerting her power and influence in the formidable environment of King Henry’s court. And she accomplished this during a time when women in general were considered to be of a stature only slightly higher than barnyard livestock, and personal property to be owned and controlled by men.
She did well to keep her head on her shoulders for as long as she did.
Bad ass indeed!
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I LOVE that title!